The 1981 Listening Post - Shooting Star - Hang On for Your Life

 Shooting Star - Hang On for Your Life

#304

July 1981

Shooting Star

Hang on For Your Life

Genre: AOR

3.5 out of 5

Highlights: 

Hang On For Your Life

She’s Got Money

You’ve Got Love

I really like this kind of rock. I’m a sucker for things like Chickenfoot and Van Hagar and Montrose and…wait…those are all Sammy Hagar fronted joints….Hmmm…

Van McLain sounds a helluva like Cabo Wabo Boy and that’s a good thing. 

This thing, like future Shooting Star records, pops and crackles with radio friendly upper register rock. 

It’s not as sleazy as, say Crue or Ratt and there’s no gimmick or, that I can recall, video friendly visages but this one will get you there if you have the top down and blast “Teaser”. In fact, I bet your sunglasses magically develop white frames while listening to this one. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/hang-on-for-your-life-remastered/1156396928

The 1980 Listening Post - Shooting Star - Shooting Star

Shooting Star - Shooting Star

#13 LISTENING POST DISCOVERY

January 28 1986

Shooting Star

Shooting Star

Genre: Glam Rock/Power Pop

4.5 out of 5 (YMMV

Highlights:

You Got What I Need

Don’t Stop Now

Bring It On

Midnight Man

Last Chance

I had no idea Gus Dudgeon produced anyone other than Elton John. Honestly, I thought it was the name of some old studio hound who/relative of the label owner. But, here he is twisting the knobs for a Glam Rock, a good 5 years after the genre’s heyday. 

Thing is, when it’s done well, with the right about of mid tempo stomp and just a touch of jangly keyboards and a whole lot of harmonies? It’s a favorite of mine. Shooting Star should’ve come out earlier in the last decade for anyone to care. 

(You know a band knows what it’s doing when the slow song is the shortest one on the rekkid.)

This album knocked me out in the all the right ways.  YMMV 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/shooting-star/20729746

The 1985 Listening Post - Shooting Star - Silent Scream

Shooting Star - Silent Scream

#122

April 15 1985

Shooting Star

Silent Scream

Genre: Rock

3.5 out of 5

Highlights:

Somewhere in Your Heart

Time

Remember that Michael Bolton album? This sounds JUST like that. Only this singer is slightly more apropos for this music and he’s not buried in the mix.

UFO, Triumph, Journey…this band fits in with those nicely. The fact that this is their FIFTH record and I’ve never heard of them should say something about them, though. They aren’t bad enough to be memorably so. The songs are all appropriately 80s theatrical if they don’t have any real personality. 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/silent-scream/20729936